Posts Made By: Todd Gray

Not sure if this is the right forum, but has anyone ever made their own flip mirror or slide mirror diagonal for astrophotography work? Could not find anything on the internet on how to make it yourself, so thought I would try here. I would like to make a 2" version from an old diagonal I don't use anymore. The concept of the slide mirror seems easy enough and I really don't want to spend over $200 on meade's version. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Todd

Hello everyone,

I need help identifying a couple of eyepiece sets I received with my binoviewers. The eyepieces are aluminum with rubber eye cups, very simple design. I asked Harry at Siebert optics, but he did not make them.
Any insight would be much appreciated,
Todd

Glenn,
I just got a curved vane from protostar for a 2.14" secondary at 14" diameter cage. Fabrication looks excellent and the spider seems realy stout. I also got my secondary from antares optics. I asked if they where having a sale and they came down about $30 on a 1/20 pv wave.
Good luck!
Todd

Paul,
Check out the Roboscope group on yahoo. This group is soley dedicated to converting DS series drives and motors into drive systems for larger mounts. The group even sells the conversion kits minus the motors and handpad.
Good luck,

Todd

Phil,
You should check out obsidian optics website. Mark Cowan posts mirror specs smoother than 1/20th pvw and even 1/30th.
I won one of his mirrors on ebay almost 17 months ago, but have nothing thus far so I can not give a review one way or the other. Really smooth figures on paper though!


Todd

Anthony,

Search this same forum for Obsidian Optics and you will find a long thread full of useful info.

Best of luck,

Todd

Josh,

Cary at Woden Optical has the best of both worlds. He offers impressive and realistic specs on his mirrors at excellent prices. He is also a sponsor of astromart so just click on the link. I am currently awaiting a 12.5" f/5.

Todd

Floyd,
Just remember: "The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

Todd

Charles,

Unfortunately for my ego you were not assuming too much. These are my second pair of binos and my first pair never gave me this problem. The right focuser helped alot, but I am still having trouble with the fine tuning. I will check out the cloudynights site.

Thanks,

Todd

Part 2
Primary mirror- 12.5" f/4.89 super smooth Woden Optics with semi-enhanced coatings 93% from L&L optics.(Still waiting for the spec report on mirror from Cary)
Secondary- Antares 2.6" 1/20th wave or better enhanced supported by single vane 180* curved spider from protostar.
2" crayford focuser and Telrad
OTA built from scrap 3/4" diameter 1/8" wall thickness scrap aluminum poles given by neighbor who also supplied scrap aluminum "Call before you dig" signs that serve as the focuser/telrad plate, round visual back on opposing side, and eyepiece tray. Top ring and mirror cell triangles are 1/8" thick aluminum scrap and hand bent a pole for the bottom ring housing the mirror cell. The OTA is ass heavy for future attachments so pipe nipples filled with BB's totaling about 5 lbs. in all are used for now as counter weights. They screw directly into the hole of the truss poles on top. The 3/4" thick 8" diameter aluminum side bearings keep everything nice and rigid.
The OTA has flocking paper underneath all surfaces within the light paths reach.
The base is 3/4" plywood with cutouts trimmed out in aluminum duct tape to match the two-toned OTA. Floyd supplied some unique virgin teflon bearings underneath, smooth. 3/4" brake for altitude bearings made from plywood.
The Light shroud is scrap black lenin fabric that I sewed bent metal coat hangers in 5 key locations to keep the fabric out of the lightpath. The top coat hanger ring gives room for the focuser and telrad. The shroud velcros at both ends.
The scope is easily moved about my yard and weighs about the same as my old 8" f/6 Hardin dob.
There are too many stories on top of stories about this scope to include. It has truley been a fun and interesting journey the past couple of years. I have only been into Astronomy for over 3 years now and am amazed by the trail blazed by past ametuer astronomers that enables newbies like myself to comprehend such a project let alone actually finish the telescope.

Thanks again everyone,

Todd Gray 8)